Causeway Coast woman Lauren’s Irish whiskey cruise around sun soaked Caribbean
Fancy cruising the sun drenched Caribbean in 2026 with access to the very best Irish whiskey?
Well, a Causeway Coast woman is one of the key figures behind the recent launch of the innovative first Irish Whiskey Cruise.
Lauren McMullan, who grew up just 20 minutes from the distillery, began her ‘whiskey journey’ at the age of just 19 “when I began working in the Old Bushmills Distillery as a tour guide – initially to keep up my French and Spanish speaking skills throughout summer when I wasn’t at university".
She has carried her vast knowledge and experience from her time at Ireland’s best-known whiskey distiller into a successful small business promoting the golden spirit.
The cruise is another smart initiative promoting Irish whiskey tourism that also now includes The Irish Whiskey Trail that was launched last month by the Dublin-based Irish Whiskey Association (IWA).
Lauren is a partner in Irish Whiskey Experiences, a business she helped form in 2022 after leaving her role as brand ambassador in Ireland for Bushmills, among the world’s most successful Irish whiskeys.
Irish Whiskey Experiences has been running a successful programme of tours to distilleries across Ireland and to Islay in Scotland. Lauren’s partners in the business include whiskey experts Barry Chandler and Anthony Sheehy.
The daughter of well-known former Ballymoney Times photographer, Sammy McMullan, Lauren is now running the unique cruises from San Juan, the capital of Puerto Rico.
A seven-day cruise on the Star Pride, the luxury cruise mega yacht of Windstar Cruises, costs around £4,000 for each person and covers exotic destinations on St Kitts, St Barts and the British Virgin Islands.
Some 80 Irish whiskeys are featured on board. These include Newry’s Two Stacks, Rostrevor’s Killowen and Dunville’s from Echlinville at Kircubbin, both from Co Down.
“I’m excited to continue my career in the dynamic sector with Irish Whiskey Experiences and to be able to create incredible moments centred around the people and stories that made me fall in love with this industry in the first place,” continues Lauren.
“Ultimately what drives and excites me the most is the history and colourful stories behind the brands, and the passion with which these stories are passed down through generations,” adds Lauren.